Um...why do they call them "go faster" stripes?

Looking fast, feeling fast, going faster.

They’re “racing” stripes. They were originated as a design for race cars. Now, you can find them on anything and they are considered stylish.

…but why??? they don’t’ make you look like you’re going faster at all… did they make cars look like they were going faster? Oh i see what you’re saying @Randy they’re weren’t originally called go faster stripes… so I wonder how they’ve morphed into this nonsense… :-D

I thought it was just intended as a joke. I.e. you make your car look like a race car and thus it suddenly gains extra speed somehow because it has morphed into one despite in no way could the stripes add extra speed unless if they provided less air resistence.

I believe that they are also to be found on the packaging of fast acting laxatives.

I wonder if they might have actually originated in comic books and comic strips, where you have to indicate motion with lines. This visual convention has been around for a long time and is widely, if not universally, understood.

@Jeruba yes! good point!!! x

the same reason clear taillights on your honda civic adds 10hp.

See how much more impressive this car looks than this one? Go faster, my arse

@lloydbird
Which of course lead to the racing stripes inside your shorts.

@SeventhSense
Well yes but, my “racing stripes” seem to diverge, as if my wheels have come off their axle.

@lloydbird
Time to take the car off the road?

@SeventhSense
By the seat of its pants.